


Darling, Hold My Hand

by LastOneOut



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Angst, Both are hopelessly in love, Branch is hesitant, Creek is still a little fucker, F/M, Fluff, Grey Branch, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poppy is clueless, Pre-Movie, Romance, Secret Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 01:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9468830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastOneOut/pseuds/LastOneOut
Summary: " 'Cause I don't wanna walk on my own anymore."--Pre-movie AU where Poppy falls for Branch and decides to do something about it. An exploration of how Grey!Branch and Poppy would make a relationship work.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I always like to see how characters work in different scenarios and pre-movie Branch and Poppy trying to make it work is one of the most interesting I've seen in awhile. The plan is a 4-5 part fic highlighting the key parts of their journey, but it might change. Who knows! 
> 
> Anyway, as always, I hope you enjoy <3

Poppy didn't remember when she started having feelings for Branch. Honestly, he was the last person in the world she imagined falling for, but somewhere between chasing him around trying to cheer him up and watching him from a distance catching those rare glimpses into what she figured was his true nature, she fell. And she fell hard.

It was one of those fleeting moments that she realized it. She was nearly nineteen, laughing with her friends after another intricate song and dance number, when she spotted him. He was standing in the distance, almost hidden behind a mushroom, staring at them with that odd, cryptic look. She gave him a small smile and waved, and for once he waved back. Then, as if startled by his own actions, a blush bloomed across his face and he turned, trudging back into the woods.

It hit her all at once. The smiles, the hidden glances and hesitant waves and oh goodness--she liked him. She liked him a lot.

Trolls were very straightforward creatures. Concepts like lies and sarcasm were not unheard of, but certainly weren't normal. So when one person liked another they always admitted it outright. There was no point in hiding it, and sure it didn't always work out, but after a while the troll in question would get over it and not let awkwardness come between them and their former crush.

But Poppy wasn't so confident. Had it been anyone else she would have gone and just told them, but this was Branch. And Branch...was different. Very different. She had no idea how he would react. Would he feel the same? Would he get mad and yell? Tell her to stop being stupid and to leave him alone?

And what if he did feel the same...what then? How would her friends react? He surely wouldn't suddenly want to go to parties and sing, and she was mostly fine with that. Branch was Branch, she liked him and would try to respect what he wanted. But her friends, her dad, the village...what would they say?

She worried over it for a whole week before she decided that damn the consequences she just had to tell him. It was the right thing to do, and sitting on the feelings was driving her up a wall. So the next day she got up, squared her shoulders, and marched off into the forest to find him.

The walk was blessedly short, giving her no time to second guess herself, but when she found him sitting in the shade just outside his bunker she felt her heart give an involuntary leap. She swallowed and tried to calm herself before walking up to him.

“Hey Branch!” She called. He visibly tensed, before sighing and looking up at her.

“What do you want, Poppy?”

She froze, this was it. Just breathe, be honest, and tell him. Easy as pie. “I...” Suddenly the words grew heavy on her tongue and she felt the panic rise again. “I...um...”

“Well?” He asked, clearly annoyed.

“Um...nothing...” She deflated, all courage and hope leaving her. She fiddled with her hands, struggling to find an excuse, “I just wanted to say hi and uh...see what you were doing.”

He gave her a confused stare. “...really?”

“Yeah! Um,” she gazed down at the piles of long leaves and sticks he had gathered, “What are you doing?”

“If you must know, I'm making a basket.”

“Oh..um...will you teach me?” She asked, trying to find a reason to stay. If she couldn't confess at least she could spend some time with him.

“How to make a basket?”

“Yep!”

“...Why?”

“Well,” she said, sitting down in front of him, “I'm going to be queen one day, and uh...a queen should know how to do things...like making baskets.”

He furrowed his brow and turned his head slightly, clearly trying to discern if she was pulling a prank, “What's this really about?”

She shook her head, reaching down grabbing one of the sticks, “Come on, just show me.”

“...Alright fine. But no singing. Or dancing.”

She nodded, “Deal.”

“Ok,” He took the stick from her, “I'll start it for you but you're gonna have to do the rest yourself. It isn't as easy as it looks so pay attention.”

Poppy was true to her word, even going so far as to ignore her hug time bracelet, and they passed the afternoon in comfortable silence. Usually the reserved atmosphere would drive her up a wall before long, but today she found that she enjoyed it. Branch was there, and quiet fit him, and if she liked him then she figured she could learn to like the quiet too. Besides, without any of her usual theatrics she could hear the sounds of the forest around them, mixing with the relaxing noises of the grass sliding against itself as they worked on the baskets. It was nice. Really nice.

Of course the silence also left room for her mind to wander. She found herself stealing a glance at him from time to time, the deep, concentrated look on his face making her cheeks grow warm, and her heart fluttered every time he reached over to correct a mistake she had made.

In the end Branch made two baskets in the time it took her to finish one, and while her’s resembled a tumbleweed more than anything she was proud of it. She helped him gather the leftover supplies(and tried not to blush when their hands inevitably touched.)

“Well...thanks for the...” he said as he glanced at her basket, “...help, I guess.”

“Aw, Branch, that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”

“Yeah, well don't get used to it.” He said with a poorly concealed blush, “Anyway, you should go. It’s going to be dark soon.”

“Right.” She paused, mulling over telling him now. She didn’t like keeping secrets, even small ones had always felt like lies to her, but she still couldn’t bring herself to utter the words.

“Thank you for teaching me.” She said instead, “I had fun.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He gathered the last of his things and walked back to his bunker.

“Wait!” She called.

He looked back, “What?”

She held out her basket, “Don’t you want it?”

“Uh....” He said, “No, that’s ok. You made it, you should keep it.”

She smiled, deciding that he was very cute when he was trying to be nice, “Ok! Well, thanks again.”

He nodded awkwardly and Poppy held her composure until she heard his door close and the last of his 16 locks and bolts click into place.

“Ughhhh....” She buried her face in her basket, stomping her foot weakly. ‘Dummy! Why didn’t you just tell him?’

She brought the basket away from her face. ‘At least I tried...’ she reasoned, ‘And there’s always tomorrow.’

That was it. She’d just try again tomorrow. And the next day, and the next. Eventually she could confess or Branch would get tired of her pointless visits and get the truth out of her. He was good at that. It was foolproof. Until then she would at least get to know him a little better. That couldn’t hurt.

She nodded, held her basket close and made her way back home.

 

* * *

 

And she returned, not just the next day, but every day that week, and that month. Each time Branch seemed more and more confused by her presence, but she always waved it off, insisting that whatever survival skill he was practising was important for her to know. He was hesitant, but in the end always gave her the same terms. No singing or hugging or dancing, and she could stay and learn. And she always agreed.

She did miss it, dancing and singing were part of her, but she made due, focusing instead on fire-making or trap building or rope spinning, hardly ever slipping up. She learned to scavenge for food and water, how to start a garden, the basics of navigation and even some hand to hand combat.

As the hours passed she found that she actually enjoyed learning. Sure, it wasn't her usual thing, but she couldn't deny that it was all important knowledge that could help her people when she became queen. Not that she imagined that anything bad would happen, she still believed that she and her people were as safe as safe could be, but she supposed it couldn't hurt to prepare, just like Branch did.

And yet, for all of the time she spent with him, she still lacked the courage to just tell him why she was there in the first place. She told herself that it would come when it came, but a month later she still hadn't come any closer to spilling the truth.

"Poppy..." Branch asked one day, a half eaten sandwich in his lap. She had spent the morning helping him dig a new room in his bunker, getting a crash-course in underground architecture in the process(She also ended up covered in mud, but that was fun in its own way, so she didn't mind.) They both sat in the light of a few bio-luminescent mushrooms eating the small lunch Branch had offered her.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"...Every single day this month you've come and helped me. You don't sing, you don't hug, you don't dance, and you haven't even complained about it."

"Yeah...?" She shrunk away from him slightly as her heart started pounding. She could tell where this was going, and she certainly didn't like it.

"So what's the deal? And don't pretend it's just 'cuz you want to learn because I know that's not true. You've never shown any kind of interest in this stuff before. Is it just some new ploy to try to get me to open up?"

"Well...no, not exactly..."

"Then what is it?"

"...um..."

"Poppy. Just tell me." He said, annoyed. She felt herself blush, lowering her food to her lap. She still felt so scared, her heart pounding away in her chest more fiercely than ever. But...she knew it was time to tell him. She had danced around the topic for too long. Sure, he probably didn't feel the same, and while she would lose all of the private moments and hesitant touches and smiles they had shared in the past days, she just couldn't keep lying to him.

"I...I like you."

"Well, yeah, that's obvious, you haven't left me alone for days." He said with a laugh, "What's the real reason?"

"No, Branch. I like you. Like...like-like you."

His eyes snapped to meet hers, his gaze deep and clouded with mistrust. He let the words hang in the air before speaking, his voice quiet, all traces of humor gone. "That's not funny, Poppy."

"What...no, I'm not kidding. I do!"

"Yeah, whatever. We're done for today." He got up, gathering what was left of his lunch and as she watched him she felt anger rise in her chest. He really didn't believe her! She stood as well and grabbed his hand. He stopped, but refused to look at her.

“I do.” She grasped his hand tighter, “I have for a while now actually...I was just too scared to tell you.”

He turned back to stare at her, still unsure.

“When have I ever lied to you?” She asked, trying not to sound hurt.

“Poppy..." He sighed, "Even if you do like me...I can’t be all the things you'd want me to be. I'm never going to...be like you."

“I just want you to be you, Branch.” She said honestly, giving him a shy smile. He didn’t speak, a slight blush coloring his cheeks as he gazed at their joined hands.

“Do...do you like me too?” She asked after a moment, and he nodded his head and blushed deeper.

“...Of course I do...”

“Really!?” She gasped.

“Yes, Poppy, I do.”

She felt dizzy suddenly, and her face glowed with a deep blush. She took her hand back and smacked herself on the arm, hissing at the pain. "I'm not dreaming..."

"I could have told you that." Branch said, grinning at her antics. "But by all means, continue."

She instead rushed forward, pulling him into a tight hug. He was warm and solid, and she felt safe...for a moment. Her actions caught up to her almost instantly and she stepped back, sheepishly looking at the ground. "Sorry, I know you don't like hugs."

He seemed sad for a second, before reaching forward and pulling her back into the hug, "I don't...but for you...I guess I could make an exception." She wrapped her arms around him again, savoring the feeling. She never realised how much she wanted this. Just him and her, close and safe and maybe...happy. She could only hope he was enjoying it as much as she was.

"Poppy..." He whispered, not pulling away, "I really can't be everything you want me to be..."

"Branch, I told-" She tried to pull back but he held her fast, and so she leaned back in and kept quiet.

"Just hear me out, okay?" She nodded.

"I just don't...I don't want you to do this because you feel like you have to or something..."

"Why would I do something if I didn't want to?" She asked quiety, still shocked at his uncertainty.

"Because you’re a people pleaser, Poppy. You just want everyone to be happy."

"So...?"

"So...I just want to make sure you know what you're doing...and why."

"Branch..." She leaned back, and he let her look up at him. He was still blushing, but he looked more scared and vulnerable than she had ever seen him.

"I’m doing this because I do like you. A lot. It just...took me a while to figure it out.” She squeezed one of his hands, “Can you at least give me a chance?”

“What about...everyone else? Your dad? The village?”

“Who cares? It’s none of their business.” She said adamantly, as if she was trying to remind herself as well as him.

“But it will be.” He said, ever the voice of reason, “You’re gonna be queen one day.”

She shrugged, “So we’ll figure it out. Together.”

“Together...” He repeated.

“Yep. Together. What do ya say?”

He paused again, considering her words, “...Together...sounds nice.”

“I think so too.”

He gave her a soft, adoring look and she blushed before collapsing back into the hug.

“You know for someone who doesn’t like hugs,” She said with a smirk, “you’re pretty good at them.”

“Ok, that’s just rude.”

“More like true.”

“Nope, too late. I changed my mind.” He picked her up and she let out an involuntary gasp, breaking out into giggles as he carried her to the elevator, “Time to go, Poppy.”

“Branch, put me down!” She wiggled against his grip, still laughing, “As your future queen I command it!”

“As you wish, your majesty.” He deadpanned, dropping her onto the soft moss of the platform. She made an indignant noise and stubbornly grabbed him, pulling him down on top of her. The pair blushed furiously for a moment before dissolving into giggles.

“You’re awful.” She laughed.

“You know you love it.” He replied, taking her hand.

She hummed, entwining their fingers, “Yeah, I do.”


End file.
